Helpful Tips

It is not unusual that, if you hear strange sounds, clicks or static noise during your telephone conversations, you may be concerned your phone is being tapped. At Perth Family Lawyers, we are hearing more and more often that our clients are worried about their privacy being compromised and telephones ‘bugged’ by their current or former partners. It is a genuine concern and we are able to provide professional legal help and guidance if you believe that someone is listening to your phone or has hacked other electronic devices.

There are some things that may indicate that your phone calls have been listened to. If you recognise some of the signs discussed below, we recommend that you consider getting your smart device checked. We also recommend that you contact a lawyer and seek legal advice as to what would be the best next steps in order to protect your privacy. Perth Family Lawyers can assist with this and provide you with genuine advice about your next steps.

1. Unusual background noise

Strange background noise, such as high-pitched humming or a pulsating static sound while you are on a telephone call may suggest that your phone is, in fact, tapped. If this occurs only on a rare occasion, it is probably just a glitch, however if you notice it is happening more often, and especially if it happens several times in one minute, your phone may be tapped.

2. Reduced battery life

If you notice that your phone’s battery life is all of the sudden a lot shorter than it used to be or that your battery feels warm in your hands while the phone is being used, a tapping software might be running in the background and consuming your battery power. If you suspect this may be the case, you can use your phone’s settings to obtain detailed information as to what is shortening your phone battery’s life. If your battery is being drained by the apps you are using every day, then everything should be okay, however if you do not use those apps often, then you may have a reason to contact Perth Family Lawyers to obtain some legal advice and arrange to have your phone checked for spyware.

3. Suspicious activity

When a phone is hacked, it can start turning on or off on its own or begin installing apps without command, you may receive a text message containing jumbled letters or numbers from unknown senders, or there may be odd pop-up ads appearing more than usual. These can all indicate that your phone is compromised.  A major sign that your phone is being tapped is if your private data stored on your phone is being leaked online, such as emails, pictures, notes etc. If this happens, please call our office at Perth Family Lawyers immediately.

4. Electronic interference

Some spyware uses frequencies that are near the FM radio band and TV broadcast frequencies. If your radio emits a high-pitched sound when it is set on mono and dialled to the far end of the band, your phone might be interfered with. This is also the same with your TV – if it has an antenna and produces sounds when you bring your phone in its vicinity, then it may have been interfered with.

5. Unusually high phone bill

An unusual spike in text or data usage can also indicate something odd may be happening with your phone. It may be that you just downloaded a new app that uses a lot of date, of that your children used your phone while not connected to Wi-Fi, however if that did not occur, there may be another cause for your data consumption and we recommend you contact Perth Family Lawyers for advice.

6. Third-party apps

You should only download apps from than the App Store or Google Play Store, as third-party apps downloaded unsafely are a potential source for malware and spyware.  You should be careful if a recently downloaded application is requesting permission to access your call history, address book and/or contact list.

As noted above, the listed signs do not necessarily mean that your phone has been compromised, especially if only some of them have occurred. However, if you are going through a relationship breakdown or have recently separated and you think your partner or ex-partner may be attempting to track your movements or hack your devices, this is unacceptable behaviour classified as family violence.  Our team of experienced family lawyers at Perth Family Lawyers are here to provide you with advice and discuss your concerns to ensure you are protected as best as possible. Call Perth Family Lawyers on (08) 9325 8675 to arrange a meeting with one of our solicitors today